More than 70,000 people in St. Louis County are reported to have mailed in their votes for municipal elections on Tuesday, more than four times the number from last year's municipal polls.
Gov. Mike Parson has yet to make a decision over whether he will sign a bill allowing expanded absentee voting for elections in August and November.
During a press briefing last week, the governor last week said not to vote if people didn't feel safe.
In response to the question on whether the governor will sign the bill allowing those over a certain age or with underlying health conditions to mail in their votes, which was passed by Republicans, his office said he is in the middle of reviewing bills.
"The Governor’s Office is in the midst of the bill review process," his communications specialist, Stephanie Whitaker, told the St. Louis Record.
"Governor Parson has until July 14th to decide to sign, veto, or allow legislation to pass without signing."
The bill will allow anyone over 65 or with underlying health conditions to mail in ballots for the Aug. 4 primary and Nov. 3 general elections. Others concerned about COViD-19 can request an absentee but must have it notarized.
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft voiced his opposition to the bill, largely because it did not include provisions relating to voter identification. Some Democrats opposed the bill because they believed it was too restrictive.
St. Louis County reported that 76,000 applications for absentee ballots were sent out ahead of Tuesday's elections, held amid the pandemic and continuing protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Protests were held Wednesday but there were no reports of serious violence, a contrast to previous nights which saw four polices shot and one former captain, David Dorn, murdered. Dozens of businesses in St. Louis were wrecked.
Parson announced Tuesday he was calling up more than 1,000 National Guard members.
"We're not going to have police officers -- we're not going to have citizens of Missouri -- being shot in our streets in this state," Parson said.
In the elections, Councilwoman Ella Jones became the first African American, and first woman, elected mayor of Ferguson.
Elsewhere, incumbent Ted Hoskins was defeated by challenger Babatunde Deinbo 42 to 34 percent. Hoskins was seeking re-election while facing five felony counts of election fraud in connection wtih absentee ballot applications.
He is accused of filling out and altering absentee ballots and encouraging his workes to do the same ahead of April 2018, municipal elections.
The mayors of Wildwood, Jim Bowlin and Richmond Heights, Jim Thomson, were reelected.
Sales tax increases were approved in Byrnes Mill, Breckenridge Hills, Dellwood, Maplewood and Herculaneum, while property tax increases were passed in Glendale, Olivette and the Monarch, Riverview and Spanish Lake fire protection districts,.
Voters in the Hillsboro, Pacific and Dunklin fire districts and Big River Ambulance District voted against property tax hikes.